Full time: 35 hours per week
Fixed duration: January 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029 (42 months)

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Digital Cultural Heritage Data Ethics and Software Ecosystems to join the Institute of Design Informatics, Edinburgh College of Art.

Opportunity:

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a large project funded by the European Commission focusing on data ethics and software design within digital cultural heritage. You will collaborate with leading European partners, contributing to innovative solutions that impact the future of digital cultural heritage. The position involves designing research on ethical guidelines and evaluating open source tools to ensure legal and ethical compliance in AI-driven processes for digital cultural heritage objects (DCHOs). You will play a leading role in creating a playbook for developers and defining validation requirements for sound, ethical and legal software ecosystems.

This publication is funded by the European Union’s Horizon scheme and is part of a pan-European research project. Regular European travel is expected as part of this role.

The starting salary for this role will be a maximum of £46,049 per annum.

Your skills and qualities for success:

• PhD in digital humanities, digital ethics, or a related field such as digital sociology, law, or information sciences.
• Demonstrate expertise in data and AI ethics, especially in digital cultural heritage contexts.
• Experience evaluating and implementing digital tools with a focus on usability and documentation.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to translate complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary and international teams.

This publication is affiliated with the Institute of Design Informatics (IDI, https://www.designinformatics.org) is a long-term joint research initiative between the Schools of Design and Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. The successful candidate will join IDI’s dynamic team of over 50 academics, researchers, software research engineers and professional services staff, contributing to the Institute’s diverse research and entrepreneurial activities. DI is an exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. We support you, nurture your talent, and reward you for success.

Apply before: 10/24/2025, 23:59